La Colonie Maison d'Hôtes
Traditional Elegance & Quiet — French country house charm with genuinely warm, personal hosting. Not a hotel: no front desk, no lobby bustle. More like staying in a well-loved private home.
Book the Garden Suite if it's available — private terrace, private entrance, and mountain views make it worth the upgrade
Why It Matters
Hand-picked by Tablet Hotels and listed on the Michelin Guide — a strong editorial endorsement for a 5-room B&B in a village most travelers drive straight through. The Accueil Vélo certification and bike-storage facilities make it a practical base for the Jura cycling routes, not just a weekend getaway.
La Colonie sits in the middle of Collonges Fort-l'Écluse, a small Ain village tucked between Geneva and the Haut-Jura hills. The house was built in 1801 and spent much of the 20th century as a colonie de vacances — a French children's summer camp — before hosts Maud and Julien Rivollier transformed it into a B&B with five rooms and a pair of self-catering gîtes. Old stone walls and original architectural bones survive the renovation; contemporary touches in the rooms and spotless bathrooms keep it from feeling like a museum piece.
Where You'll Stay
6 room types available
Cozy Room (2nd Floor)
A 30m² room on the second floor with a generous 180x200 bed — the largest mattress in the house. Shower room with separate WC, desk, and a courtyard-facing window. Snug and comfortable rather than spacious.
Double (180x200cm) · 30 sqm
Garden Suite with Private Terrace
The standout option: a garden-level suite with its own private entrance, private terrace facing the mountains, a bathroom with bathtub (separate from WC), and a lounge area with a sofa, coffee table, and desk. The most private room in the house — genuinely feels like a self-contained apartment.
Double (160x200cm)Garden-Level Double Room
Set on the garden level (rez-de-jardin), this spacious double has direct garden access, a 160x200 bed, a large shower room with separate WC, desk, and storage. Ground-floor position makes it quieter than upstairs rooms during summer evenings.
Double (160x200cm)Le Credo (Self-Catering Gîte)
A fully self-contained cottage of approximately 45m² with a private terrace-garden. Includes a separate entrance, fully equipped kitchen/dining room, a lounge with a single sofa bed (sleeps up to 2 adults + 1 child), a double bedroom, and a shower room with separate toilet. Dogs are welcome here — the only accommodation in the property that allows pets. Beds made and towels provided on arrival.
Double + Single sofa bed · 45 sqmLe Fortin (Self-Catering Gîte)
Completely renovated in 2026, this 45m² two-level cottage sleeps up to four. Ground floor has a living/dining room, fully equipped kitchen, and bathroom with separate toilet. Upstairs is an attic double bedroom plus an open mezzanine with two single beds. A terrace adds outdoor space. No dogs allowed. Beds made and towels provided on arrival.
Double + 2 Singles · 45 sqmStandard Double Room (1st Floor)
Two similar double rooms sit on the first floor, each with a 160x200 bed, desk, ample storage, flat-screen TV, and a shower room with a separate WC. Solid, comfortable, no frills — clean lines and well-maintained throughout.
Double (160x200cm)The Property
Eat & Drink
2 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
The property holds the Accueil Vélo certification, meaning it actively caters to cyclists: secure bike storage on-site, a dryer for wet gear, packed lunches available to order, and hosts knowledgeable about local routes through the Pays de Gex and Haut-Jura.
The Haut-Jura Regional Natural Park is directly accessible from Collonges. Walking trails connect to the Jura massif and the nearby Franco-Swiss border paths.
The historic fortress of Fort l'Écluse is 2.4km from the property — a short walk or cycle ride. Built into a dramatic cliff face above the Rhône gorge, it's one of the more striking fortifications in the region.
Geneva is roughly 20km away — an easy day trip by car or bus (a bus stop for the Bellegarde–Divonne-les-Bains and Bourg-en-Bresse–Gex lines is a few metres from the house). CERN is 15 minutes by car.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Available throughout all areas of the property. Listed as a standard inclusion across all room types.
Dedicated, secure storage for bicycles. Part of the Accueil Vélo certification — designed for cyclists arriving on touring routes.
A shared dryer (sèche-linge) is available — particularly useful for cyclists and hikers arriving with wet gear.
Baby cots available on request, free of charge.
A large wooded garden (parc arboré) at the rear of the property, used for outdoor seating and summer dinner service.
A shared outdoor sun terrace with garden views and outdoor seating.
Secured, enclosed private car park on site. No reservation needed. Free of charge.
A common kitchenette area is available to guests, particularly useful for walkers and cyclists needing to prepare food.
Luggage storage available for guests.
Hosts speak French, English, Spanish, and German.
A public bus stop (Bellegarde-sur-Valserine to Divonne-les-Bains, and Bourg-en-Bresse to Gex lines) is a few metres from the property.
BUILD YOUR LA COLONIE MAISON D'HÔTES PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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